The Darkness Within
by 12HockeyChick21
Summary: Yamimash and Markiplier are getting ready to record their next collaboration video when something goes wrong with Mark. Yami takes off to the States to be with Mark to help him in his time of need. But will Mark be okay? Or was something inside Mark released? Will the two be able to handle it? (Future Markimash, probably).
1. Chapter 1

Aaron Ash was just getting ready to call his friend Mark Fischbach on Skype to record their newest collab video. They had agreed to play the newest Slender game that had recently come out, something which Aaron, better known as Yamimash on YouTube, was not looking forward to.

"Hey man, you ready?" Mark greeted when he answered the Skype call.

"Yeah, but we should try the game out a little first." Aaron replied. Mark nodded and leaned over, out of view of the webcam.

"Sure thing, just let me grab my headphones. They fell off my desk last time I was-" Mark paused for a second. There was a loud knocking sound.

"What was that?" Aaron asked. Mark came back into the picture, a confused look on his face.

"Someone's at my door. My mom was coming out today, but I wasn't expecting her til later. I'll be right back." Mark got up and disappeared. Aaron sat and waited patiently. That was, until he heard a gruff, loud voice.

"GET DOWN! ON THE GROUND!"

"Okay, okay! Please, just don't hurt me."

"SHUT UP!"

"Mark?! MAHK! What's going on?"

"Yami, don't worry I'm- ACK!"

Before Aaron knew what was going on, a man dressed in all black came into the room, a scared looking Mark in tow. Aaron's heart dropped into his stomach when he saw the man holding a gun to Mark's head.

"MAHK! Oh my god... What do I do?" Aaron gasped.

"Shut up. Make your friend talk." The man growled.

"Make him talk? What do you want him to say? What do you want?"

"Don't give into him, Yami! He's just gonna kill me as soon as-" The man pistol whipped Mark in the back of the head.

"Shut up!"

"What? Mark, what? What is this?! I can call your emergency phone in the states. 911, right?" Aaron freaked out.

"Yami, no! He's gonna kill me!" Mark uttered after recovering from the pain, only to recieve another hit.

"I said shut up!"

"I thought you wanted him to talk?!"

"Not useless information."

"What do you want?! I can help, just please don't hurt him!"

"Pfft! You can't help me or your friend here," The man grabbed Mark's hair with his free hand and slammed the other YouTuber's head into his keyboard. "Say goodbye, Markiplier."

"NO! MAHK!" Aaron yelled, but the webcam disconnected and the call ended. Aaron stood fast, panicking. He stumbled over a couple cords around his desk, trying to grab his phone. He dialed America's emergency help number and as soon as an operator answered he had to catch his breath.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"You gotta help. Not me. I'm in Britain, but I've got a friend in the states that is being held hostage in his home as we speak. I saw it over video chat, a man burst into his home. He has a gun."

"Okay, okay. Sir calm down. What is your friend's address?"

Aaron gave it to her and she assured him that everything would be fine.

"We can keep you on the line if you'd like, to keep you informed on the situation."

"Yes, please..." Aaron's voice quivered nervously.

"Don't worry, sir. We've sent out several patrol cars already and they're on their way as we speak. I have one of the officers on another line right here." The woman's voice was comforting.

"Are they there yet? Are they saying anything?"

"Relax, sir. Everything will be okay."

Aaron waited for what felt like hours before he heard a male voice come through the phone, somewhat garbled, signifying the sound transfer between two electronics. Aaron realized it was the voice of the cop the woman had on another line.

"Arrival! Victim is shot and suspect is on the run. A group in pursuit now, I repeat, a group in pursuit now!"

"What?! SHOT!? IS HE ALIVE!?" Aaron yelped. The woman's voice came, but not talking to him.

"Officer Young, is the victim alive?"

"Checking now. Call an ambulance." The man's voice responded.

"Please! You have to tell me if he's alive! He HAS to be okay!" Aaron cried out.

"Sir, I'm working on it, I promise. I have to get an ambulance to the scene."

Aaron listened as she did this, then heard the cop's voice again.

"Victim is male, mid twenties, identity yet to be determined. Gunshot wounds to the head and abdomen, but pulse still present."

"HE'S ALIVE?! His name is Mark. Mark Edward Fichbach. He's twenty-five years old! You have to help him!" Aaron begged.

"Sir, thank you for the identification, he will be just fine. He will be taken to the nearest hospital. I suggest getting in contact with closer friends or family." The woman said.

"Thank you!" Aaron hung up and didn't waste any time. He ran to his room to pack a bag. He was going Los Angeles.

* * *

**A.N.: Hey, sorry it's kind of short. There's more to come if I know there are people out there who are interested! Please let me know in reviews if you like it! THANKS! :) ~12HockeyChick21**


	2. Chapter 2

Aaron caught the soonest flight and was in California within a day. He got into a taxi and asked to be taken to the closest hospital. As soon as he arrived, he asked for Mark at the reception desk. The woman told him that he was currently in surgery and that Aaron had to wait in the waiting room.

A lot of time passed, several hours Aaron sat. Then a doctor came out.

"Are you here for Mark?" he asked. Aaron nodded and stood.

"How are you just doing surgery on him now? The accident was yesterday..." Aaron still had some jet lag, but he knew that the timing seemed off.

"Oh, you must be the one who called in his attack. It was his second surgery to release some pressure build up in his brain. We had gotten the bullet out of his head and stomach just fine, but just last night he began to have a seziure. He's fine now. He's in his room, the drugs are wearing off. You can go in to be with him."

"Thank you." Aaron said gratefully, following the doctor to a room. He walked in alone and saw his friend in the only hospital bed. Mark did not look good, a bandage wrapped tightly around his head and tubes all over his body, going in, coming out, you name it. Aaron sat in the chair near his bedside and just waited.

More time passed and a knock came at the door. Aaron turned his head to see an officer standing in the frame. He stood up.

"Hello."

"No, sit down. That's fine. You must be the-"

"Yes. I am," Aaron gave a breathy laugh. "My name is Aaron Ash. I just got in a few hours ago."

"Yes, I heard. That's why I'm here. I'm one of the officers that showed up at your friend's scene. I had a couple questions I wanted to ask you."

"Go ahead. Anything."

"Okay, what were you doing when the incident started?" The cop got out a notepad and stared at Aaron.

"Oh. Mahk and I were Skyping and about to record a video of us playing a new horror game. You see, Mahk and I have YouTube channels and we work together a lot."

"Oh! Markiplier and Yamimash! I knew I recognized you two. My daughters and son love you."

"Thank you. But anyway, so we were about to begin when a loud, angry sounding knock came at Mahk's door. He went to go answer it and I didn't see him. But I heard this angry guy. Then Mahk asked him not to hurt him. The guy dragged Mahk back in the room and in the view of the camera and he had a gun to his head. The guy asked me to get him to talk. I didn't know what he wanted. Then Mahk said not to give into him and that the guy was gonna kill him anyway. Then the guy told us to say goodbye and the call disconnected. That's when I called you guys."

"Thank you. We found the man we believe did this so Mark will be safe. No need to worry. I'll leave you alone now. I may return later after Mark has awoken so I can question him as well."

"Okay. Thank you."

The police man nodded and left the room. Aaron was in silence again for another long period of time before he heard Mark stirring.

"Mahk? Hey... it's me... It's Yamimash. Aaron. I'm here."

Mark groaned quietly and opened his eyes. They screwed up from light exposure and he blinked a few times before he seemed to respond to anything.

"Yami...?"

Aaron smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, Mahk. It's me..."

"Aaron... oh God... what happened?"

"You were attacked and shot. You're in the hospital now." Aaron told him. Mark didn't respond, just looked around with a still half unconscious expression on his face.

"You're safe now."

"You... saved my life. And then you fly out here? Is this real?"

Aaron laughed.

"Yes, it is."

"Thank you..."

"Just get some more rest, Mahk." Aaron told him. The older man gave a weak nod and dozed off again.

* * *

A couple weeks passed. Mark had been released from the hospital, but was somewhat nervous to be at his house alone, so Aaron promised to stay with him until he was more comfortable. But Mark didn't seem like himself... Aaron could never put his finger on it, but something about his friend was just... different.

One night after dinner, Mark was doing the dishes and Aaron walked into the kitchen and over to him.

"Hey, Mahk. Maybe we co-" Aaron couldn't even finish before Mark turned on him, a large knife he'd been washing in his hand. Aaron stumbled back a little out of surprise.

"Mahk, relax. It's just me!" Aaron exclaimed, making Mark drop the knife immediately. It clattered to the floor and Mark took a breath.

"Oh geez, Yami... Don't do that."

"Sorry, Mahk. I didn't mean to scare you..." Aaron got closer to Mark carefully and put his hand on Mark's shoulder. His friend looked at him.

"It's fine... I'm sorry I threatened to stab you." Mark chuckled as he bent down to pick up the knife he dropped.

"I am the crazed butt stabber! I'm going to stab you in the butt. Oooo!" Mark waved the knife at Aaron, this time in a non-threatening, playful way. Aaron laughed and shook his head.

"You're so dumb, Mahk. Now stop wavin' that thing around before ya hurt someone." Aaron teased.

"Aww, always gotta ruin the fun, ay Yami?" Mark turned and finished the dishes. From the place Aaron was standing off to Mark's side, he could see the healing bullet wound above Mark's right temple. It was looking a lot better, that was for sure, but it still wasn't a very lovely sight.

"Oh shush. I'm doing you a favor." Aaron protested.

"What? Don't trust me with knives?" Mark joked.

"Pssh..." Aaron turned and went to go take out the trash.

"Don't get scared when I walk inside now, Mahk." Aaron said, half serious, half teasing.

"Mhm." Mark said, not even looking up from his plate scrubbing.

Aaron walked the trash and recycling bins to the curb, then walked back in the house. Mark was laying on his couch when Aaron returned, so Aaron joined him in the living room.

"Tired, are we?" Aaron asked. Mark nodded, eyes closed and arm across his face. Aaron snickered.

"Oh yes. A day of lounging around, then doing the dishes. Your life is exhausting."

Mark raised his arm up and opened his eyes to peek at Aaron.

"Come on, Yami. It's my house. I can be tired, even if all I did was sleep all day." he groaned.

"Hah, yeah alright. Anyways. As I was saying before you were going to stab me in the butt, we should play a game of some sort."

Mark shrugged.

"Well, I'd love to, but you know what the doc said. No extensive electronics usage for a month or so. They don't want me to induce another seziure."

"Ah, yeah."

"Besides, it's getting late anyways. I wanted to read a book, but I have a splitting headache." Mark groaned again, sitting up this time.

"Well, we can go off to bed and I can read to you a bit if you'd like." Aaron offered. Mark smiled.

"Sure, that'd be nice."

The two went off into Mark's room and Mark climbed into bed and handed Aaron a copy of some book that had been on his bedside table. Aaron pulled up the chair from Mark's desk to sit near him and started reading.

Soon enough, about two and a half chapters in, Mark had drifted off. Aaron put the book back on Mark's nightstand and sat back down in the chair. He watched Mark sleep for a few minutes, relaxed by how calm his friend looked. Aaron was happy that Mark was sleeping well. He had a few nightmares while still in the hospital and a bunch more once he was home, but they seemed to fade away recently.

Aaron stood up and walked over to the door. He took one last look at Mark's sleeping form before switching off his light and going down the hall to the guest room he'd been sleeping in during his time with Mark. Aaron himself got ready for bed and turned out the light in his room as well, falling asleep just about when his head hit the pillow.


	3. Chapter 3

He didn't know what it was, but something possessed Aaron to wake up in the middle of the night. He glanced over at the clock. 2:54 A.M. Aaron grumbled and turned to go back to sleep. But when he flipped onto his other side, he was greeted by the darkened face of Mark. Aaron nearly jumped out of the bed in surprise, but Mark grabbed him and put a hand over his mouth. His other hand held a knife to Aaron's throat.

"Shhh. Join me."

"Mmmmffmmtt!" Aaron mumbled into Mark's hand.

"Shhhhh. Relax, Aaron..." Mark drew the blade carefully and slowly across Aaron's neck, just barely slicing into the tender flesh. Aaron threw his head back and hissed in pain. But it was as if something had stopped Mark, as he drew his hand back from Aaron's mouth and pulled the blade away.

"The time is not now, Yamimash. Sleep. Day will come for you..."

Aaron blinked tiredly and it seemed Mark was gone. Slowly, Aaron began to fall back into his sleep. A fitful sleep...

Aaron's dreams were rattled by many different images of Mark's dark, twisted face he had seen. But nothing would prepare him for the morning to come.

The next day, Aaron awoke, groggy and exhausted from a terrible night sleep. He shuffled down the hall and into the kitchen to see Mark at the stove top.

"Oh, hey Yami. Glad I heard ya come in this time. I made you some eggs, toast, and tea. I know how you like your tea." Mark smiled, turning to look at Aaron as he sat down at the table.

Aaron's mind raced as he sat watching Mark dish out breakfast onto two plates, seeming completely unaware of the previous night's encounter. Perhaps it didn't happen and it was all just a dream...?

Mark brought over the plates and a cup of tea for Aaron, a glass of orange juice for himself. What he said, broke Aaron out of his thoughts.

"Hey, what'd ya do to your neck? Ya nick yourself while shaving again?"

"What?" Aaron got up and excused himself to the bathroom. When he got there, he gazed into the mirror, shocked by what he saw.

A small, inch long cut ran across the width of his neck, dried blood caking it. Aaron let the water in the sink run a little until it warmed, then took a washcloth, dampened it, and dabbed at the cut. This washed away the blood to reveal unharmed flesh. Aaron's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What the bloody hell...?" he murmured, tossing the stained cloth into the hamper and returning to the kitchen.

"You okay, Aaron?" Mark asked once he sat down.

"Y-yeah. Fine, thanks."

And they ate together in silence.

After they were done, Mark stood up and went to take both their dishes, but Aaron stopped him.

"No, allow me." he stood, took the dishes, and went over to the kitchen sink. He started washing them when Mark came over.

"You sure you're okay, Yami?" Mark asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Don't worry." Aaron forced a smile. But deep down, he was still very confused about the incident from the night prior... Was it real? Or was it not? Would he ever know?

* * *

Later that afternoon, Aaron walked into the kitchen to see Mark rummaging through his cupboards.

"What's wrong, Mahk?" Aaron asked.

"Low on stuff. Need to go out to the store." Mark replied.

"Want me to come with you?"

"Nah, you stay here and... man down the fort." Mark laughed.

"Alright then. Don't be out too long." Aaron waved Mark off, then he was alone in the house. Curiosity gnawed at Aaron, so the Brit made his way to Mark's room. Aaron knew it wasn't very appropriate of him, but he started going through Mark's things. Aaron convinced himself it was to protect Mark, and perhaps even himself.

After going through all of Mark's drawers and finding nothing out of the ordinary, Aaron went over to Mark's bed. He lifted Mark's sheets, then his pillow. Once Aaron touched the pillow, something fell to the floor. Startled, Aaron knelt down and retrieved it, a decent sized knife. Aaron's blood ran cold when he realized it was the knife from his dream the night before... or maybe it wasn't a dream...

"What...?" Aaron murmured to himself. Why would Mark have a knife hidden under his pillow. And more importantly, why would Mark attack Aaron at night with it? Aaron knew what he had to do... he would confront Mark about it when he returned.

Some time passed before Mark returned, giving Aaron a chance to plan out his route accordingly. He didn't want to upset Mark, but he also didn't want Mark lying to him. That morning when Mark had seen the blood on Aaron's neck, he hadn't seemed to remember anything. But then the fact there was no actual cut... now that was confusing...

Aaron paced back and forth in front of the front door until he heard the sound of a key in a lock.

"Hey Yami. What's up? You look like you just saw a ghost or something, man. Help me with these bags." Mark appeared, tons of shopping bags draping his arms. Aaron complied and the two both carried bags to the kitchen. Once Aaron put the bags down, he looked at the counter where he had put the knife. Then he picked it up.

"What is this, Mahk?" Aaron questioned. His friend looked up from the bags and raised an eyebrow.

"That's a knife."

"Yes... and what was it doing in your room?" Aaron asked persistently. This only made Mark look more confused.

"What? I don't know what you're talking about, Yami..." Aaron sighed.

"Okay Mahk... we need to talk."

"Yami, I swear... I have no idea why that knife would be in my room."

"Mahk... I think you've been sleep walking."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because... you came into my room last night," Aaron waved the knife a little, "with this. And you were really weird and scary..." When Aaron said this, Mark's face dropped.

"Oh my God... Yami. I'm so sorry! I'll try to stop. We can lock the knives up or something... lock my door at night, lock your door. I dunno... Geez... I... I'm sorry." he stammered. Aaron put the knife down and went over to his friend, pulling him into a hug.

"It's okay, Mahk... It's not your fault. You've just been through a really traumatic experience. Anyone would be having night terrors and things. But I'm here for you, I'll help you through this, okay? No matter how long it takes." Aaron promised. Mark laid his head on Aaron's shoulder and sighed loudly.

"Thanks, Yami... I'm glad to have you here... I don't think I could do this on my own. I'd probably end up really hurting myself."

"Don't worry, Mahk. I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Now let's put all this stuff away."


	4. Chapter 4

When night fell, Aaron read to Mark again, then he went into the kitchen and locked all sharp objects away.

"That should be good... hopefully." Aaron said quietly to himself. Then he went to his room, locking his door behind him.

Aaron laid in bed for a while, staring up at the ceiling. He was unable to sleep, Mark on his mind. Would everything be okay tonight?

A lot of time passed and it was about three thirty when Aaron actually began to drift off. But then a scream ripped him from sleep. He sat up in a flash, scared.

"MAHK?!"

He jumped out of bed, unlocked his door, and made his way down the hall to Mark's room. When he got inside, Mark was just behind the door, curled up into a ball, shaking.

"Mahk? What's wrong?" Aaron went down on his knees beside his friend, but was scared to touch him.

"Mahk..."

"Yami?"

"Oh..." Aaron pulled Mark into him and held him close. "What happened? Another nightmare?"

Mark nodded, shivering against Aaron. The British man found himself stroking Mark's hair in attempt to comfort him.

"Shhh... it's alright..."

"Yami...?" Mark whispered after a little bit of silence.

"Yes, Mahk?"

"Will you stay in here with me? I know you may not want to... but I swear... I won't hurt you."

"Sure..." Aaron let go of him, then stood up, and locked Mark's door.

"Just in case... I don't want you hurting yourself."

Mark got up and went back to his bed.

"Uh... you can come sleep if you want. I don't want to make things awkward..."

"No, it's okay. I understand. Sometimes it's just comforting to have a body close to you. If that's what will help you, I will. It's worth a shot." Aaron joined Mark on the bed. The older man slid under the covers and lifted them up for the younger.

"Thanks." Aaron laughed.

"Yep." Mark's voice got muffled by the blanket as it covered his face.

Mark fell asleep quickly. Aaron laid on his back again, unable to fall asleep as well. He realized that his American friend was probably exhausted due to lack of sleep because of these night terrors. Aaron really was curious as to what they were. He turned onto his side, facing Mark. He laid, watching him sleep. The sleeping man made some noises and moved around a little. He whimpered quietly, so Aaron grabbed hold of his waist and pulled him closer to him.

"Shh... it's alright, Mahk..." he whispered comfortingly. "I'm right here. Nothing's gonna hurt you."

Soon enough, Mark's tense body relaxed in Aaron's arms. He breathed in Mark's scent and felt his warmth radiating. Aaron drifted off to sleep himself.

* * *

The next morning Aaron woke with Mark still pressed up against him. Aaron looked down at his friend's sleeping figure, the sun coming in through the window and hitting his face. Aaron couldn't help but smile. Mark was so peaceful... and he had actually slept.

"Hmm...?" Mark began to wake up, breaking free from Aaron's embrace and stretching, almost hitting the Brit in the face.

"Wha-? Yami... oh... right. Last night wasn't bad, was it?"

"Nope. You screamed and I came to find you in the fetal position, but then you told me you wanted me to stay here and nothing went wrong after that." Aaron told him.

"Oh... good. I feel great actually." Mark got out of bed and drew open his curtains. "Looks great outside. Maybe we could go for a jog."

Mark paused for a moment, contemplating this.

"No, no exercise. But a walk would be nice." Aaron laughed at this and got up as well.

"Alright, a walk it is." Aaron walked over to the window. The sun was just rising, so it was obviously early. It wouldn't be too hot out yet.

In a matter of twenty minutes, both men were dressed and ready. They began to walk towards the park.

"Man, it is really nice out today." Mark said.

"Yeah. It's really nice here." Aaron added.

"Glad you're staying with me." Mark smiled.

"Me too." Aaron jogged ahead a little.

"What are you doing? I said walk." Mark called.

"Come on, a little runnin' won't hurt ya."

"Yami, seriously." Aaron turned around and jogged backwards, watching his friend try to catch up. Then he turned back and took off near an area in the park with trees. There was a decent sized hill that he planned to get Mark to run up.

"Yami no!" he heard Mark groan from behind him. But he kept going anyway, making it all the way up the hill. Once he was at the top, he looked at the surrounding below. Not a bad view. He looked back to find Mark, but his friend was nowhere in sight.

"Mahk? Hmm." Aaron turned around again, only to hear a loud cry.

"RAAAH!" Aaron turned towards the sound just in time to see Mark right before he tackled him.

"WHOA!" Aaron cried out in surprise as the two fell down the hill.

They landed with a soft little _thud_ in the grass, Aaron on top of Mark.

"Oh God, Mahk. You scared me!" Aaron exclaimed. Mark laughed underneath him, making Aaron's body shake.

"Sorry. I couldn't help it. I love scaring you."

"You're so stupid." Aaron grumbled, trying to hide his smile.

"I know." Mark stopped laughing and stared up at Aaron. The Brit stared back. Then Mark surprised him by arching his neck up and closing the gap between their faces, pressing his lips to the other man's. Aaron's eyes went wide, but then he fell into the kiss.

When they broke apart, Aaron stared down at Mark.

"Well... that was... surprising." Aaron tried to find the right words.

"Yeah..." Mark murmured. Aaron scrambled to get off of his friend and stood up.

"Look, Yami... I'm sorry, that was out of line. I don't know what came over me." Mark stood up fast, trying to talk to Aaron. "I'm really sorry! I won't do it again. I don't know why I-"

Aaron turned back around to face Mark and pulled his older friend into him, kissing him again. This time it was Mark's turn to be surprised. When they broke apart again, Mark gave Aaron a confused, concerned look.

"But... what...?"

"I think... I think I liked it." Aaron stammered.

"Wh-what about Jess?" Mark asked.

"I had a feeling we were coming to an end. I haven't talked to her since I left England... I think she was mad I didn't tell her I was going and I just left the country..."

"Oh... I'm sorry... this is my fault." Aaron shook his head and put a hand on Mark's shoulder comfortingly.

"No, it's not. You got hurt and I made the choice to come be with you. That was my decision... and I don't regret it."

Mark smiled and pulled Aaron into a hug.

"Thanks Yami... I'm really glad you're here..."

"Me too..."


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, Aaron decided it was time to call Jess.

"Hello?" his girlfriend greeted.

"Hey Jess."

"Oh... hey Aaron. How's Mark doing?"

"He's okay... well... I actually don't know. He's not doing too great at night time and-" Jess cut him off.

"Aaron... I need to... I think it's time we see other people."

This didn't hit Aaron as hard as it would have a couple weeks ago. All he did was nod, but then he realized that she couldn't see him over the phone.

"Uh... yeah. I think you're right..."

"Really? Wow... That was easy. What a relief." Jess sighed.

"Uh... thanks?"

"Sorry. Have a good life, Aaron. I'll be moved out by the time you come back." And she hung up.

"If I come back..." Aaron murmured to himself as he put his phone back in his pocket. Mark appeared from the bathroom.

"You okay?"

Aaron nodded.

"Yeah... I am." he looked at Mark and smiled. Mark smiled back and pulled Aaron into a hug.

"So... does that mean...?" he didn't finish his question.

"What?" Aaron couldn't help but giggle.

"So are we... a thing now?" Mark asked.

"I... I guess so..." Aaron grinned. Mark grinned as well and kissed Aaron.

"Not gonna lie, this was not what I expected at all..." Mark admitted.

"Yeah, me either." Aaron agreed.

"Welp... Markimash has officially come to be!" Mark did a funky little dance, waving his arms around like a weirdo. Aaron laughed and shook his head, then widened his eyes in mock shock.

"Mahk! What if all our fans that ship Mahkimash were, like... psychic?!"

Mark cackled.

"Definitely."

The two were quiet for a moment, just staring at each other.

"Should we tell them?" Aaron asked finally.

"Well... I dunno. GEEZ! I haven't even made a video telling them what's going on! It's been over two weeks! They'll be worried sick!" Mark ran around crazily, flailing his arms again, screeching. He ran up to his room and Aaron followed. Mark sat down in his desk chair, turned on his computer, and started up the webcam.

"I'll do a short video to update them. But no long electronic usage. Here, come be in this." Mark waved Aaron over, but then held a hand up.

"Wait right there, out of the shot until I let them know you're here. Then come say hi."

Aaron nodded and Mark pressed record.

"Hello everybody, Markiplier here. I know, I know, I haven't posted anything in forever, smite me! I had an accident a couple weeks ago. As you can see," Mark pointed to the side of his face at the bullet wound. "I don't look too good. But somebody came in from a far ways away to come help me. Say hi, Yamimash!"

Aaron poked his head in.

"Hello."

"Yes, Yami's here with me! Everything's okay, I'm fine. I just won't be able to game for a while because I was told by my doctors to not stare at electronics for long periods of time, like a computer screen or a TV. Soooo, for now, Markiplier will just be a channel of my quick little video updates with Yami here." Mark looked up at Aaron, who was now standing behind him, looking over his chair.

"Should we tell 'em?"

"Err... no. Not yet, Mahk." Aaron decided.

"Okay. Well, you heard the man. We have a secret and we're gonna keep it. But don't worry, when the time comes, we'll be sure you'll be the first to know! Anyways, I should get off now, my eyes are starting to bug out on me. I'll try to post an update vid every couple days. Thanks for watching and I- WE'LL see you in the next video! BYE-BYE!" Mark waved and turned off the webcam, then posted the video up.

"That'll take some time to upload... What do you wanna do?" Mark asked. Aaron shrugged. Mark turned his desk chair around so he was facing Yami.

"Wanna watch a movie?"

"But you just said you can't stare at a TV for too long..." Yami rose an eyebrow at him.

"We can watch a movie I've already seen and I can close my eyes and just listen to the dialogue. I'll picture the movie in my head." Mark said.

"Alright, if that's what you want."

The two went down into the living room and Mark popped in a DVD. The two sat down on the couch as the movie started. Mark stretched out across Aaron's legs, putting his head in Aaron's lap.

"Hello..." Aaron laughed, staring down at Mark.

"Hey." Mark made a kissy face, so Aaron leaned down and kissed him.

"Don't you fall asleep on me now..." Aaron said, then began to watch the movie. Mark closed his eyes and smiled.

"No promises."

* * *

About forty-five minutes into the movie, Aaron looked down to see that Mark had fallen asleep, just as he'd thought he would have. But instead of waking him, Aaron took the remote, paused the movie, and stroked Mark's hair until he too, fell asleep.

When Aaron woke, the room was dark. All the natural light that had been illuminating the room was now gone due to the setting of the Sun. Aaron felt Mark's absense on his legs and looked down to see he was gone.

"Mahk?" Aaron called, getting up. He wandered into the kitchen in search of his friend, but the house seemed... unoccupied.

"Mahk? Where'd you go, Mahk?" Aaron called as he climbed the stairs. He went to check Mark's room, but when he entered, it was empty.

"Mahk? Ma- ACK!" Aaron was cut off as someone grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the wall. Mark stood there, pinning Aaron. But it didn't look like Mark...

His eyes held an evil glimmer and he smiled sinisterly.

"Mah... Aghh...hhhh." Aaron choked, clawing at his friend's wrist. Mark laughed, sending chills down Aaron's spine.

"It's thrilling to see you struggle..." he murmured.

"Mahk... P-please..." Yami sputtered, still trying to get Mark to let go. He felt lightheaded, no oxygen... Had to breathe... Must... breathe.

"Mahk..." Yami heaved, eyes fluttering as he neared unconsciousness. His dulling eyes met Mark's dark ones.

"M-Ma..." Yami's voice was now barely a squeak, but he managed to get his friend's name out one last time. "Mahk!"

Mark's face changed completely, the darkness fading into confusion and shock. He released Aaron and gasped. The Brit fell to the floor on his hands and knees, gasping for air.

"Oh my GOD! AARON!" Mark also went to his knees and put his hand on the younger one's back.

"Oh... my God... What did I just do?! Breathe, Yami. Please breathe! Yami..." Mark's voice cracked. Aaron held his throat as he caught his breath, chest heaving. He tried to speak.

"M-Mahk... are you okay?"

"Am I okay?! I just almost strangled you!" Mark exclaimed. Aaron looked up at him and shook his head.

"It's... not your fault... It'll be okay. I'm fine."

"Aaron..." Mark began, but Aaron stopped him by pressing his lips to his.

"I'm okay... alright? We'll get through this together. Nothing is going to scare me away. I promise."


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Aaron awoke in Mark's arms. He looked up at his sleeping partner and smiled. Mark stretched and yawned, signaling that he had woken as well.

"Well hello there..." he said with a smile.

"Hello." Aaron smiled back.

"Want pancakes?" Mark asked, kissing Aaron.

"Yes!"

The two got up and went down into the kitchen. Mark wen shuffling through the cupboards to get the ingredients while Aaron stood, leaning against the counter. Once Mark got all the things he needed, he put on an apron he had hanging in the pantry.

"I'm so sexy, right?" Mark joked.

"Yes, you are." Aaron laughed. He watched as Mark started to prepare their breakfast. He got flour on his hands and wiped them on his apron.

"Come here, give me a hug, Yami!" Mark grinned.

"Oh, no. No way! Don't!" Aaron ran around the kitchen, Mark chasing him. Aaron squealed as Mark caught and embraced him. Mark rubbed himself all over the Brit.

"Mahk! Noooo, stop it!" Aaron broke free and grabbed some of the flour out of the bowl and flicked it into Mark's face. Mark's face contorted and he spit out flour.

"Hahahaha! Aaron laughed so hard he didn't even realize that Mark had grabbed an egg until he felt him crush it on his head. Aaron gasped as the yolks dripped down his face.

"Ugh... Mahk! I'll get you for that!" Aaron howled, taking the measuring cup with the milk measured out and dumped it on Mark.

"Agh! YAMI!" Mark grabbed the whole bag of flour and began to shower Aaron with it. Things escalated and by the end of the escapade, the entire kitchen and the two men were a mess. All their ingredients were no longer usable. Aaron wiped a mixture of egg and flour out of his eyes.

"Oh dear... Mahk..."

Mark looked around the room.

"Well I guess pancakes are out of the question, huh?"

"We should really clean this up." Aaron said. Mark nodded.

"But I think maybe we should clean ourselves up first..."

"Yeah." Aaron agreed.

"Come on." Mark led Aaron to the upstairs bathroom.

Mark started up the shower and stripped down. Aaron stood nervously, blushing.

"What? Embarrassed?" Mark teased.

"Uh, no... well I..."

"You gonna take off those clothes?"

"Uh, I don't think I..."

"Okay, okay. No pressure. Relax." Mark stepped into the shower, out of Aaron's visibility. Aaron's tension melted slightly, but he couldn't seem to calm other certain parts of him. He felt his cheeks heating up even though Mark could not see him.

"I'll be out soon, then you can get in." Mark called to him. Aaron sat on the toilet seat cover and waited.

Sure enough, the water shut off and the curtain was drawn back. Aaron made sure not to stare at anything as he handed Mark his towel.

"Thanks Yami." Mark said, wrapping it around his waist. Then he stepped out. "I'm gonna go get dressed, meet me downstairs."

Aaron nodded and waited until Mark had closed the door behind him before he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he went to take his shower. He felt so awkward and stupid... he had ruined the chance to have a moment with Mark. But at least Mark seemed like himself. Aaron hoped that wouldn't change too soon.

As Aaron stood comfortably in the spray of the water with his eyes closed, his mind drifted. He found himself thinking of Mark. The time with the knife and how confused he was. The time Mark strangled him... and how scared he felt. But then the look on Mark's face when he realized... Then Aaron's mind found the image of Mark's naked, wet body. Thinking of certain parts of Mark made those same parts on Yami's body act up. He had to do something to calm it...

Aaron was almost done when he heard Mark's voice.

"Hey! Yami, are you coming or what? Yami!"

Just hearing Mark call his name made Aaron complete his task. He tried to not let it show through his voice.

"I'm coming... uhhh... I mean, I'm almost done." _Smooth Aaron..._ he thought.

"Alright then. Hurry up." Aaron could picture the look on Mark's face just hearing his sentence. _He's got his eyebrow raised suspiciously... I just know it. _Aaron finished washing himself off, then shut off the water. Aaron got out and grabbed a towel, then crept out to get his clothes.

When he was finally dressed he went downstairs to help Mark. He was surprised when he entered a clean kitchen.

"Wha-?" Mark came over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist.

"You were taking so long that I just decided to start without you. I guess I just finished and that's when I came to check on you." Mark chuckled. Did he know? Oh God... Aaron tried to play it cool.

"Oh, okay... so what now?"

"Want to go out for breakfast? Pancakes on me." Mark joked, planting a kiss on Aaron's cheek.

"Yes, they were on you. And me. But sure."

"Let's go." Mark grabbed his keys and motioned for Aaron to go first. "After you my dear sir."

Aaron laughed, "why thank you." And off they went.


End file.
